The Red Sox announced this afternoon that they have retained the services of Curt Schilling for 2008 for a reported $8 million.

Schilling could have hit the free agent market, and the Red Sox could have shopped the free agent market. Both would seemed to have concurred that free agency was in neither's best interest.

So, along with picking up Tim Wakefield's option for 2008, the Red Sox look ready to stand pat with what is generally considered a strong stable of starting pitchers: Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, Schilling and Wakefield.

- Alan Greenwood